Haggis: A Meal Only a Mother Could Love

The addition of my brother-in-law Matt to the Conway clan has been one of my family's great joys. He's a great guy. I'm sure you'd like him if you met him. As the curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum, he's also an expert on many things Scottish.

Over the last 5 years, he's infused a love of Scottish culture in all of us. Being a crazed foodie, I've taken a liking to Scottish cuisine. Now I know that "Scottish cuisine" sounds like an oxymoron, but the fact of the matter is I enjoy traditional Scottish foods. Neeps, tatties, brodies, and meat pies are the perfect analogy to represent the hearty, stout, fun-loving Scots! These favorites stick to your ribs and put hair on your chest - food at it's manliest.

The most familiar, and maligned, Scottish dish has to be their beloved haggis. As much a rite of passage and source of pride as a delicacy, the haggis is an unofficial national dish. For the Scottish impaired, a haggis is a sheep's stomach stuffed with barley, offal (animal parts like livers and hearts) and seasonings, that's boiled for hours and served. The Food Network even has a recipe online, if you so dare.

I had my first haggis at the 2002 Stone Mountain Highland Games. Most commercially-sold examples make do without the stomach casing. This haggis was served on a pile of hot chips with some HP sauce drizzled over top. Yummy!

Like with so many obscure foods, the flavor of haggis is hard to describe. All the examples I've had had a strong liver flavor, with a corresponding mushiness and some peppery overtones. I think of it as a cross between braunschwieger and corned beef hash.

I would love to make my own haggis at home, but I confess I don't have any readily available sources for sheep stomachs. I'm also running low on culinary bravery. Besides, I don't know anyone, other than Matt, who'd eat it with me. People are just too picky nowadays, too scared to go outside their culinary comfort zone.

When Jenny and I get in the mood for some haggis at home, we eat Caledonian Kitchen Canned Haggis. They make their haggis here in the US with premium beef. There are even vegetarian varieties (I haven't figured that one out yet) and haggis made from authentic Highland Cattle!

My brother-in-law helps keep us supplied with canned haggis throughout the year. I usually pair it with some Batchelors Mushy Peas, a large dollop of mashed potatoes and a beer (Before all the fellows from Xmarksthescot.com bombard me with e-mails, I know Guinness is Irish beer. I mean no disrespect, but I don't have Tennent's at home!). It also makes a terrific accompaniment to eggs in the morning.

For all you Weight Watchers, 3 oz. of Caledonian Kitchen haggis is 4 points and the mushy peas are 1 point for half a can. To my knowledge, I am the first Weight Watcher in history to calculate the points value for haggis.

Haggis will never be a mainstream favorite amongst us Yanks. And that's fine by me. My love of haggis is a source of pride, a bond I get to share with my fellow kilted men across the pond. Thanks to some readily available products, I can eat it whenever I please.

Caledonian Kitchen canned haggis, HP sauce and mushy peas are all available from the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop.